Saskatchewan slightly beefed up COVID-19 restrictions Friday, putting mask mandates in effect for some communities and restricting service at bars and hookah lounges.
The restrictions, which will go into place Nov. 16 and will be in place until at least Dec. 4, were announced in a press conference Friday morning. Saskatchewan health minister Paul Merriman and Saskatchewan chief medical health officer Dr. Saqib Shahab announced the new changes.
“Beyond the specific restrictions we’re announcing today, I want to say this – we all need to take the threat of COVID-19 seriously, like we did in the spring,” said Merriman.
“We need to make sure we get back to the basics, back to the good practices that allowed us to control the spread of COVID-19 throughout the spring and the summer.”
Saskatchewan, which has not previously had a province-wide mask mandate, expanded existing rules on masks, along with a curfew on alcohol sales across Saskatchewan and other restrictions.
Mask use in public indoor spaces will be mandatory in all communities with populations of 5,000 people or more, along with communities near Saskatoon, Regina and Prince Albert.
“Due to their proximity to the urban centres and high rate of retail, workplace and service integration, they will be included even if their independent populations are less than 5,000 residents,” reads the Nov. 13 announcement.
In total, 59 communities will be under a mask mandate in Saskatchewan as of Monday, Nov. 16.
Health officials are recommending all residents wear non-medical masks outside the home, but orders will not be in effect for most northern and rural communities. Communities including Creighton, Denare Beach, Pelican Narrows and others near Flin Flon do not currently have mask mandates in public spaces.
In the past week, 901 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Saskatchewan. The province has recently broken its own record for new cases in a day and total active cases at least twice.
“No one wants to get back to another lockdown. No one wants to close businesses and put people out of work. We need to slow down the spread of this virus,” Livingston said.
“I’m not going to sugarcoat the situation. It’s not great, and it’s been getting worse. This threat is very real, but I believe we can get it under control if we do the right things.”
Bars and other facilities with liquor licenses will remain open, but will need to stop serving alcohol at 10 p.m., with consumption of alcohol over by 11 p.m. Other rules are in place for different facilities, including group aerobic activities – limited to eight participants maximum, with three metres of social distancing in effect – and disallowing all hookah and waterpipe businesses from operating those services.
